BUXTON, N.C. — A beach on the Outer Banks was named one of the top 10 in the United States by coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman, better known as Dr. Beach.
Lighthouse Beach, which is located in Buxton, North Carolina, landed in fifth place on the 2023 list.
"Lighthouse Beach is where the old spiral-striped Cape Hatteras Lighthouse once stood until it was moved landward in 1999 because of beach erosion," Dr. Beach wrote in his list. "This lifeguarded beach is the number one surfing spot on the U.S. Atlantic Coast as the large offshore sand banks, known as Diamond Shoals, cause wave refraction focusing wave energy on this beach."
He continued: "It is fun to stroll down to the Cape Point where a long sand spit often exists, making one feel somewhat like Moses because the waves are coming from both directions as you walk along this narrow string of sand in the ocean."
Dr. Beach, a professor at Florida International University in Miami, has produced an annual list of the top 10 U.S. beaches since 1991. He evaluates beaches using 50 criteria, including water and sand quality and safety and management. He gives extra consideration to beaches that prohibit smoking.
Last year, he ranked Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, also a part of the Outer Banks, as the best beach in the country. Lighthouse Beach was also on the list, coming in at No. 6.
The other beaches that made the list were:
- St. George Island State Park in Florida
- Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Hawaii
- Coopers Beach in New York
- Caladesi Island State Park in Florida
- Coronado Beach in California
- Wailea Beach in Hawaii
- Beachwalker Park in South Carolina
- Poipu Beach in Hawaii
- Coast Guard Beach in Massachusetts
